Environmental Farm Plan
Our Food. Our Farm. Our Future.
Environmental farm planning enables Manitoba to be a producer of safe, high quality food in a sustainable manner while leaving a legacy for future generations.
NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The EFP is available to complete online at your convenience.
to be directed to the online EFP site.
DISCLAIMER: Once you click the link, you will be leaving the Government of Manitoba website and entering a third-party, secure webpage administered by Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). Your personal information will not be stored on the government’s server and will be kept in the care of KAP.
Click HERE for a sneak peek into the online EFP and to learn more about how it works.
What is the EFP?
The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is a voluntary, confidential, self-assessment of a producer's own farm or ranch delivered in partnership with Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). Environmental farm planning assists farm managers in identifying agri-environmental assets and risks in order to develop an action plan to help mitigate high risk items. Environmental Farm Planning began in Manitoba in 2004 and continues to be a high priority for Federal and Provincial governments. It is currently supported through the
Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The Changing Face of EFP
Since 2004, the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program has been delivered through in-person workshops with producers completing paper workbooks. Over the last few years, Manitoba Agriculture moved from the in-person delivery model to virtual delivery through GoTo Webinars.
Workshops will no longer be held and paper workbooks are no longer available. Both will be replaced by the Online EFP. If you do not have access to stable Internet or require assistance call 1-844-769-6224 (toll free).
The New Online EFP
The Manitoba EFP has recently undergone a series of changes to:
· streamline content
· enhance delivery
· achieve equivalency with national standards
· provide sustainable sourcing components within the system
· make it more convenient for producers to use
These improvements have been made while maintaining security and safety. All farmer information continues to be stored on KAP’s database to ensure confidentiality. This new, self-driven online format of the EFP is now available for producers to use.
How is the Online EFP Different?
Content
Similar to the paper workbooks, the online EFP covers all aspects of a farming operation, including farmyards, livestock facilities and management of crop and pasture lands. This allows for a complete assessment of the farm operation and development of a customized action plan to address associated risks. In developing the online EFP, content was streamlined and condensed, resulting in fewer questions while maintaining integrity.
At the beginning of each online EFP workbook, producers are asked to enter their farm’s main industries, as well as choose any commodities where requirements are to be met. The system then automatically generates a workbook tailored specifically to the producer.
Sustainable Sourcing and Market Requirements
Sustainable sourcing refers to the use of environmental and social criteria in purchasing decisions, alongside traditional criteria of price and quality. The EFP can serve to fulfill the Environmental pillar of Sustainable Sourcing requirements.
Manitoba’s Online EFP offers the option to meet sustainability requirements for several commodities:
· potato production to meet McCain’s/Simplot’s requirements;
· dairy production to meet ProAction requirements; and
· horticulture production for greenhouses and market gardens.
Other companies, like Roquette, encourage growers to obtain their EFP and will provide support to anyone wishing to complete their plan.
Workbook Review
Manitoba’s EFP has always enlisted a third-party organization to review producers’ workbooks and retain personal data. This ensures that producers’ information is kept confidential and secure. Our third-party delivery agent, Keystone Agriculture Producers (KAP), has hired reviewers who conduct the review portion of the EFP process to evaluate farmers' EFPs in an unbiased manner.
With the online EFP, producers submit completed workbooks online to be reviewed. A reviewer is randomly assigned and evaluates the EFP to ensure it has been completed. Reviewers will only contact producers if they have a specific question. Once the EFP is approved, producers receive an email notifying them.
Statement of Completion
After a KAP reviewer has reviewed the EFP to ensure completeness, the client will receive an email that their EFP has been approved. They can then go back to the online EFP and download a PDF of their statement of completion and a copy of their completed EFP workbook.
EFP Renewal
Over time, farms and management practices change and plans require updating to remain reflective of the current operation. A Statement of Completion is valid for five years in Manitoba. Upon expiry, the EFP must be renewed:
· Everyone new to the online EFP will need to answer this question in the Farm Business Profile creation page: "Have you completed an EFP for this farm business and received a Statement of Completion in the past? "
· If you’ve participated in farm planning in the past with a paper workbook, you will choose yes.
· Once you’ve completed your first online workbook and are looking to renew,
the process is more efficient. The online system will already have the information you submitted in your previous online EFP. Log in to the system, select “renewal”, make changes as necessary and submit for review.
"Farmers are concerned about the environment and keeping it for future generations, but when you go through the workbook, you suddenly realize you could do this differently."
Lorne Rossnagel, cattle and forage producer, Plumas, MB
Why is an EFP important?
Canada has long relied solely on our reputation as a clean, safe place to produce food. However, consumers' demand for agricultural products to be sustainably sourced continues to increase.
Contact your local Manitoba Agriculture office for more information. By implementing an Environmental Farm Plan, producers are able to:
- improve air, water and soil quality
- conserve biodiversity on Manitoba farmland
- contribute to environmental protection and conservation
- Make Manitoba-grown commodities more marketable to environmentally-conscious consumers around the world
- demonstrate due diligence by identifying environmental assets and risks on their farm and
implementing actions to reduce those risks
"On our farm, it was a great success. It made us feel part of the solution."
Henry Holtmann, dairy farmer, Rosser, MB
"I discovered that relocating my livestock and improving their wintering site could cut back on the cost of fuel, feed and cleaning, and benefit the health of my cattle as well."
Gary Hamm, cattle producer, Morden, MB
EFP Farm Gate Signs
EFP Farm Gate Signs are available to producers who have completed the Environmental Farm Planning Process. The sign acknowledges your efforts and encourages others to follow your example of using environmentally responsible and sustainable practices on your farm. A copy of your Statement of Completion is required to obtain a sign. If you are interested in receiving a sign, please email
ManitobaEFP@gov.mb.ca with "FARM SIGN" in the subject line and further arrangements will be made.
Linkages to the EFP
Beneficial Management Practices
There are a number of cost-shared agri-environmental programs associated with the EFP.
Since 2004, over 6,500 producers have participated and completed an EFP in Manitoba, assessing more than10.5 million acres of agricultural land under this program.
For more information, contact your local Manitoba Agriculture Office.
